ADC Baramulla thrashes people to enforce Carona Curfew, video goes viral

Baramulla, May 12: The district administration of Baramulla came under serve criticism on Wednesday after a video of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Baramulla went viral on social media sites in which he can be seen beating men and women with a stick while enforcing COVID-19 lockdown.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Muhammad Ahsan along with his team Wednesday was accessing the lockdown situation within the main town wherein he along with his staff was seen walking on the streets and carrying sticks in their hands.
In the viral video, ADC can be seen beating several people including women which have hugely been criticized by the cross-sections of society with people demanding action against him and his staff for use of violence against people and women in particular.
Meanwhile, an official in the district administration said that the ADC took a strong note of violations reported and dealt with them sternly besides warned them to follow government advisories in letter and spirit.
He said that the ADC urged upon the people to cooperate with the administration adding that there is nothing more important than human lives since every preventive measure is for the safeguard and to keep the virus away.
Earlier, netizens, lawyers and civil society activists had vent their anger on social media to condemn ADC’s act. While netizens termed it as “bureaucratic hooliganism”, Umer Mir, a practicing lawyer at Jammu and Kashmir High Court Srinagar said that there is a proper legal course and mechanism to deal with every wrong and no law on earth authorizes a bureaucrat to beat the public on road like horses. “If somebody was violating covid protocol there is a procedure established by law to book the violators under relevant code but the action of the official in question is not justifiable at all,” he said.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, PK Pole who was on a visit to twin north Kashmir districts while talking to reporters said: “Context of the action will be looked into and appropriate action will be taken accordingly.”
“Looking at the context is also important and whatever is suitable will be done”, he assured.